Monday, May 04, 2015

Concrete blocks and sturdy metal fences that frame the annual Verizon IndyCar 11 turn, 2.84 km street course will start being placed on May 5th. The Honda Indy Toronto runs June 12-14, 2015. Charlie Johnstone and Sebastien Bourdais at the 2015 track build launch, photo at top by Richard Wintle.

Photo by Richard Wintle

Grandstands start to take shape. Photo by Richard Wintle

Jim Tario, Director of Track Operations, Charlie Johnstone, President of the Honda Indy Toronto and the 2014 Toronto race winner Sebastien Bourdais will officially launch the approximate month long track construction one month earlier this year to allow the race to avoid conflict with the Pan Am Games. Besides the course work which include a temporary pedestrian bridge, the off track festivals areas, paddocks and the grandstands require plenty of tents and scaffolding.

The off track layout has changed a few times since the first Toronto Indy which took place on July 20, 1986. Ongoing construction of a hotel in the mid-field adjacent to the Allstream Centre had an impact on concert stages and beer gardens along Thunder Alley. It should prove helpful when fully built for both fans and race teams - you can't beat the location and the view.

"The Honda Indy Toronto race track is built by approximately 200 construction workers, takes 39 days to build, and 21 days to tear down and remove all traces of the race. It is comprised of over 2,000 steel-reinforced concrete barriers each measuring 12 feet long and three feet high. The total length of the blocks span over 12,000 feet and are each made using approximately 8,650 pounds of concrete. More than 1,200 sheets of fencing surround the track with each fence standing at eight feet high and 12 feet long. The track also features over 1,600 feet of tire wall, each one standing at five tires high".

Remember that "on Fan Friday, your Ontario Honda Dealers will cover the cost of admission for everyone to check out the spectacle and excitement of the Honda Indy Toronto, in exchange for a donation to Make-A-Wish® Canada. With generous support from fans, Honda Canada and the Ontario Honda Dealers have raised more than $250,000 for Make-A-Wish®, helping to make the wishes of children who are living with a life-threatening medical condition come true."

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